Who says hammocks have to be restricted to summer time fun?

Summer is officially done and dusted for 2020 in Japan, and given the current state of the world, many people had to postpone their summer holiday plans. Just close your eyes and picture your dream summer holiday that never was; a tropical beach somewhere, as you relax in a hammock, gently rocking in the ocean breeze…

Now, as winter is approaching, it’s more difficult to appreciate the great outdoors. Sometimes, all you want to do is stay inside, eat a bunch of comfort food and get ready to spend the next couple of months hibernating in the kotatsu. It’s hard to think about spending time in a hammock in the cold winter months… or is it?

Starting from November 14th, the Karuizawa Hoshino Area resort are offering a special ‘Hibernation Hammock‘ package, perfect for those who want to get warm and cozy whilst being surrounded by beautiful nature. The Karuizawa Hoshino Area is in Nagano Prefecture and is well-known for its gorgeous scenery. The hammocks will be strung up in the forest area of the resort, where there are many maple and larch trees.

Each hammock comes with pillows, blankets, hot water bottles and sleeping bags so you can ‘hibernate’ in comfort. Whether you want to snuggle up and read a good book or just take a relaxing nap surrounded by the soothing sounds of nature, the hammock is a tent-style hammock to give you maximum privacy and warmth.

Of course, you can’t properly ‘hibernate’ until your stomach is nice and full, and included in the Hibernation Hammock package is a lunch from one of the six nearby restaurants. You can choose from traditional Japanese, French, Italian or Chinese cuisine. Whatever you go for, it’ll be sure you warm you up ready to hibernate!

▼ The resort’s recommended lunch – stewed hamburg steak with aged miso and melted cheese

▼ ‘Hibernation snacks’ are also included in the package

And while eating a warm, hearty meal would be enough to make any human want to take an afternoon nap, any self-respecting bear knows that the key ingredient to a successful hibernation is honey. So to accommodate this, the resort are also providing some pre-nap snacks made from honey and walnuts, wrapped in a cinnamon dough.

Each hammock can be used by up to two people at a time, and are available for use between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Each hammock costs 2273 yen (US$22) to rent. All reservations must be made through the website, and can be reserved until February 28th next year.

If Nagano is too far for you and your desire to become a bear is just too overwhelming, take a couple of tips from ursine professional P.K Sanjun and channel your inner Winnie the Pooh.

Related: Karuizawa Hoshino Area (English)
Source, images: @Press
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